The present invention relates to a chassis for mounting electronics in a functional control unit for a computer system in which the display terminal therefor is mounted to the chassis, wherein electronics that comprise the functional control unit are removably mounted so as to be serviced independent of the display terminal.
A display terminal is frequently mounted on the functional control units of a personal computer to form pedestal-type computer system. In a graphics workstation computer system, a graphics display terminal, such as the VR290 color graphics terminals sold by Digital Equipment Corporation, is typically mounted to a graphics functional control unit to form a pedestal-type workstation computer system. In a graphics workstation, the graphics functional control unit controls access to a control computer by the terminal and a variety of peripheral units that typically are interfaced to the workstation.
When the terminal is mounted to the functional control unit, whether the unit is the control computer (as in a personal computer system) or the graphics functional control unit (as in a workstation), a housing at least partially encloses the electronics for the functional control unit. The housing has an access panel on its bottom side to give access to the electronics mounted inside. Maintenance and testing of the functional control electronics thus requires that a service technician flip over the computer system and open the access panel. Frequently, the terminal is removably mounted to the functional control unit so that the service technician would first remove the terminal from the top of the housing, then flip over the functional control unit, and then open the access panel.
The acts of flipping the control unit over and detaching and removing the terminal from the housing can result in increased risk of damages to the computer system. Further, display terminals, such as the VR290, typically weigh more than the maximum weight that one service technician can lift under current OSHA regulations. The testing, servicing and replacement of a graphics function control unit requires only one technician. Removing the graphics display terminal from the graphics function control unit, however, requires an additional technician. The need to have a second technician present to service a workstation is expensive and complicates the process of scheduling maintenance calls.